Koiwai
Koiwai, sometimes referred to as Federal District, is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ivalice and the administrative seat of the Ivalician Federal District, founded September 4, 1355. It sits on the northeastern portion of the Ulei River. The resident population of the city proper is estimated to be 2,074,200, though with commuters, it can swell to over 3 million during a work day. The Koiwai-Randgriz Metropolitan Area, of which the city is a part, contains 9,755,322 residents. As national capital, Koiwai is the center of Ivalician government, hosting the National Diet of Ivalice, the Executive Bureaucracy, including the office of President and executive departments, and the High Court of Ivalice. Koiwai hosts 80 foreign missions, and the headquarters of various national organizations. Under Expanded Self-Rule, the city and federal district are run by a combined state-level government, with control over the entire Federal District, consisting of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and the 30-member Ivalician Federal District Assembly. The Department of Domesticities appoints five members of the Assembly, and the Diet appoints five members, under the Self-Rule Act. Cityscape Koiwai is divided into four quadrants of unequal area: Northwest (NW), Northeast (NE), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW). The axes bounding the quadrants radiate from the Central Plaza at the intersection of Elysian Fields Avenue and Ivalice Boulevard. All road names include the quadrant abbreviation to indicate their location. In most of the city, the streets are set out in a grid pattern with east–west streets named as streets (e.g., 5th Street NW) and north–south streets named as avenues (e.g., 5th Avenue NE). The boundaries of the city proper are designated by Northern Avenue, Southern Avenue, Eastern Avenue, and the Ulei River to the west. Neighborhoods Northeast Federal Center Federal Center is the heart of Ivalician National Government. Located just north of Ivalice Square, the Scion Building marks the center of this sprawling bureaucratic campus. The headquarters and offices of 10 of the 12 Ivalician Cabinet departments are located here, and as a result, this is a heavy employment area. The RTS Koiwai station serving this area, Federal Center Northeast, is one of the five busiest in the system. Corporation Center Corporation Center contains the headquarters of the Woogers Corporation and is by far the largest single commercial district in Koiwai. The headquarters of the Stefon Broadcasting Company, the largest Television network in Ivalice is located near the eastern boundary of this zone. Malcolm Gardens Malcolm Gardens is a quasi-suburban residential area on the eastern outskirts of the city. It is sometimes known as Little Asia because of the concentration of Asian-Ivalicians living here. Ivalice Square Ivalice Square is technically the name of the park containing the National Diet of Ivalice Building, but has come to refer to the area surrounding it as well. Northwest Downtown Downtown was once the center of residential development in Koiwai. In recent years, however, downtown has become south Ivalice's shopping mecca. A strip of Branch Avenue in downtown has been likened to Koiwai's Fifth Avenue, with over 300 designer stores from Dalmasca Street to Ivalice Boulevard. Civic Center Civic Center is located just south of National Route 4 in Koiwai. Located here is the headquarters of all the branches of city services, including the Koiwai-Federal Police Department, Koiwai Public Schools, and Federal University Koiwai. Winter Park Winter Park is the neighborhood farthest from downtown Koiwai. Located in the far west area of the city bordering the Ulei River, Winter Park is considered to be a high-class luxury neighborhood with multi-million into mansions and stylish high rises. Courthouse The Courthouse neighborhood is relatively new in Koiwai, and consists of the area surrounding the Federal Courthouse complex. Southeast Eastside Eastside is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Koiwai. It is filled with blocks upon blocks of rowhouses, and is majority residential. This part of town is traditionally populated with minority Ivalicians, but in recent decades, gentrification has begun on the western edges of the district closest to downtown. Airport Business District The Airport Business District consists of a one block radius around Koiwai Prospekt National Airport. Koiwai Regional Airports is based here, and the old Farin Robertson Convention Center is located on Ivalice Boulevard in this area. Coldwater West Coldwater West is the hanger-on name of the area directly west of the Airport Business District, which had no name of its own until the Coldwater Industrial Park was built. Currently, this is the center of green industry in Koiwai, and the headquarters of the Greenleaf Industrial Company, the largest environmental services company in Ivalice. Port of Koiwai The Port of Koiwai is the city of Koiwai's only seaport inside of city limits, but not the area's primary port. The Port of Koiwai is mostly used for deliveries to and from Coldwater West and passenger ferries. Southwest Edison Park Edison Park is considered by many to be the "new downtown" of Koiwai. Its population is on average young, well-paid, and highly educated compared to most other parts of the city. This area is filled with lavish condominiums and high-end shops, bars, and restaurants. Industrial Center Once a sprawling, polluting manufacturing complex, Industrial Center has become a world-renowned production zone for computers and advanced automation equipment. The headquarters of the Capital Power Company, a utility that provides electricity to the Federal District, and operates the Koiwai Windworks, is located here. Grosvenor Square Grosvenor Square is a small neighborhood on the far west side of Koiwai, bordering the Ulei River. At its center, is Grosvenor Square itself, named for a large garden square in London. Several embassies to Ivalice from foreign countries are located here, most notably, the Heigardian Embassy. Embassy Row Embassy Row is a strip of Edison Boulevard that contains all of the diplomatic relations in Koiwai, with the exception of those on Grosvenor Square, and the Surean Embassy. Thayter Park Thayter Park is Koiwai's third largest park behind Ivalice Square and Central Plaza, and is home to a dense residential development. Democracy Promenade Democracy Promenade, named for the street at the center of the district, is a high-end shopping district in the western parts of the city, and a highly-frequented tourist area. The street is pedestrianized to non-transit vehicles, and there are plans to run a light rail line from Koiwai Plaza RTS station to Winter Park. Demographics A 2008 inter-census survey by Ivalice Statistics put the city proper's population at 2,074,200. Population has grown steadily in every survey (taken every two years, in non-census years) since the survey's creation in 1950. The city's daytime population during the work week swells about 70 percent, to just over 3,000,000, to account for commuters working in the city, but living in the suburbs. When combined with Randgriz City, Koiwai is a part of the Koiwai-Randgriz Metropolitan Area, the second-largest metropolitan area in the country, behind the Ivalion Regional Agglomeration, and in front of the Midlands Crescent. According to the 2008 inter-census survey, the ethnic distribution of Koiwai is 40.6% White Ivalician, 36.3% Black or African Ivalician, 12.8% Hispanic (of any race) Ivalician, 8.9% Asian Ivalician, and 1.4% of other races. There are an estimate 137,000 foreign immigrants in Koiwai, chiefly of Cuban descent. Other major sources of immigration include Canada, El Salvador, and Ghana. A 2006 study showed that 82.47 percent of Koiwai's population primarily spoke English at home, 11.71% Spanish, and 3.21% spoke French. Approximately 54 percent of Koiwai's inhabitants practice a Christian religion, with 35 percent of that figure Roman Catholic and 15 percent Baptist, 4 percent Eastern Orthodox, 10 percent adhere to Judaism, and 7 percent adhere to Islam. Approximately 29 percent adhere to other faiths, or are not religious. Economy Koiwai, being the capital city and headquarters of the Ivalician federal government, is primarily a city of the Public Sector. However, the local economy has become greatly diversified in the last half-century, and is no longer completely dependent on the federal bureaucracy. It received a large share of Private Sector jobs when the Woogers Corporation moved its global headquarters downtown in the 1960s. Since then, Koiwai has enjoyed a boom in private corporate jobs coming to the city, and the city is now the host of 14 corporate headquarters. As of January 2010, the Koiwai-Randgriz Metropolitan Area had an unemployment rate of 5.7%; the second-lowest rate among the largest metro areas in the nation. The city of Koiwai itself had an unemployment rate of 9.2% during the same time period. Koiwai has growing industries not directly related to government, especially in the areas of education, finance, public policy, and scientific research. The Woogers Corporation, the Tom Hooper Institute for Public Policy, KDOT, IvalAir, and Greenleaf Industrial are the top five non-federal-government employers in the city. Education The city's public schools are operated by the Koiwai Public Schools System and include the historic Ashelin Finnley High School, which is the second oldest public high school in the nation, Ulei City College, the third oldest public high school in the country, and Western High School, the oldest public all girls school in the nation. Koiwai is also a center of higher education, led by Federal University of Ivalice at Koiwai and the Tom Hooper Institute for Public Policy. Transport The Koiwai Department of Transportation (KDOT) operates the city's rapid transit system, Rapid Transit System Koiwai (most often referred to as RTS or RTS Koiwai), the region's commuter rail service, KARRS, a downtown light rail service, Downtown Koiwai Circulator, as well as Local Bus System Koiwai. The subway and bus systems serve both the City of Koiwai and the immediate Federal District suburbs. RTS Koiwai opened on November 29, 2000 and presently consists of 32 stations. All local public transit systems accept the TransCard, a reloadable transit pass. Inter-city and regional rail services stop at several stations in Koiwai, the main one of these being Koiwai Central Station. INR Capital Regional and Diamond Coast services, as well as KARRS Randgriz, Setsuna, and Airport Javelin lines, and the RTS Koiwai Yellow and Purple lines serve Central Station. There are two major airports serving Koiwai. Decker Reginrauve International Airport, located just outside the city in Westminster County. It has its own RTS station. Koiwai Prospekt National Airport, located in downtown, just off Ivalice Boulevard, serves mainly domestic destinations, with a few locations in the United States, also has its own RTS station. Some residents opt to use Valkyrie International Airport in nearby Randgriz City, Gallia, which targets the Koiwai market, and has traditionally lower fares than the two closer airports. Koiwai is known for having the worst traffic in Ivalice. As a part of a pilot program that began on December 1, 2009, all roads in Northwest were reconfigured to be one-way only. Since then, car use has decreased by 20 percent, and use of RTS in that quadrant has doubled. One-way streets are expected to be expanded to cover the entire city by early 2010. Major road thoroughfares include Ivalice Boulevard, Elysian Fields Avenue, Takeda Downs Avenue, Koiwai Expressway, and Edison Boulevard. Culture Koiwai is known for its large amount of parkland. The Koiwai General Planning Code's 1964 Revision mandates that the southeast corner of each block be devoted to community space and public transport, with few exceptions. Most blocks use the community space as a "flower square", or an open space with benches, and are often used for community gatherings and outings. Flower Squares were originally planned as a part of the Brown Plan for the Ivalician Capital. Most community spaces also also feature an LBS Koiwai stop for local service through the city. Central Plaza is Koiwai's largest park, which covers nine square blocks at the intersection of Ivalice Boulevard and Elysian Fields Avenue. The City Zoo is located in the southwestern corner of the plaza. Performing Arts and Music The Koiwai Symphony Hall is home to the National Performance Orchestra, the Koiwai Metropolitan Opera, and the National Shakespearean Theater Group. Several other theaters, such as the Waterfront Stage, feature traditional plays, and modern works. Environment Koiwai strives to be an environmentally-friendly city. There are several laws in effect to reduce the number of cars traveling through and within the city. Central to these is the Downtown Transit Incentive Act. The act establishes a downtown decongestion zone. All cars entering the zone, with the exception of those traveling on the Koiwai Expressway, who are subject to a separate toll, must pay 5.00i by means of an electronic transponder. Cars without transponders, such as tourists, can enter the zone via toll plazas on Elysian Fields Avenue, Takeda Downs Avenue, Ivalice Boulevard, or with a special toll ticket from the Koiwai Expressway. Federal District Government also encourages use of Koiwai's vast mass transit network to get around the city. The city's innovative dynamic tax rates on industries that adjust based on their carbon dioxide emissions are world renowned. And by 2012, the city's remaining fossil-fuel-fired power plant will be shut down, and the city's electricity will be fully carbon neutral, the majority coming from Koiwai Hydrogen Power Station, a hydrogen fuel-cell fired plant in the Edison Park neighborhood. Geography Adjacent Jurisdictions Sister Cities and Diplomatic Missions Koiwai currently has three sister cities. * Creburg, Heigard * Norman City, Wringo * Beaulieu, Occitania Category:Ivalice